Fruit basket



NOV. 26, 1935. F, JOSLIN 2,022,566

FRUIT BASKET Filed March 27, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRUITBASKET Frank M. J oslin,

Amsterdam, N. Y., assignor to Inman Manufacturing Company, Inc.,Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 27, 1935,Serial No. 13,341

6 Claims.

This invention relates to open top containers or receptacles baskettype.

It is an object of vide an improved fruit particularly of the fruit orberry the present invention to proor berry basket formed of fibroussheet material.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a basketof the type described of conventional shape when assembled but formedfrom a blank which makes such economical use of the material that manymore baskets can be formed from a ton of stock than can be formed usingother types of blanks for similarly shaped and sized baskets.

An important feature of the invention consists in the provision of afruit or berry basket of substantially rectangul ar configuration andhaving flaring sides, all the parts being formed from a single pieceblank of suitable sheet material which is folded into a container havinga reinforcing edge or cuif formed substantially continuously about thewhole upper edge of the basket and in which the fiaps forming this cuffare all on two oppositely disposed ends of the blank whereby the maximumlength of the blank in a direction at right a bottom and fiapped nglesto an axis through the sides is equal to the width of edge of the bottomdisposed sides have and in which two oppositely their three free edgescut to the size of a finished side and in which the remaining sides havethe outer edge a full length flap,

on their ends wings and on a flap being provided on each wing on theedge thereof which when the flaps are folded about an intervening sidewill form a continuous reinforcement to the upper edge of thatintervening side.

Other and further featuresand objects of the invention will be m oreapparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of theaccompanying drawing and following specification wherein is disclosed asingle exemplary embodiment of the invention with the understanding thatsuch changes and variations may be made therein as fall within the scopeof the without departing from the tion.

In said drawing:

appended claims spirit of the inven- Figure 1 is a perspective view of acompleted fruit basket constru invention oted according to the presentin one quart sizes and have been made from wood 0 splints or frompaper-like material for many years. Various forms have been tried andsome used successfully, but the most popular shape is one having asquare bottom with four flaring sides. Irrespective of the material usedit has 15 been found advisable to reinforce the upper edges of the foursides to prevent tearing or splitting and to stiffen these edges so asto prevent undue bulging of the sides due to the weight of the packedfruit or berries.

The present invention contemplates the use of a fibrous paper-likematerial of sufficient thickness to have the desired stiffness andpreferably treated to be at least partially water repellant. Itcontemplates the provision of a substantially 25 continuous inturnedflap along the upper edges of the four sides and a novel disposition ofthe flaps which form the reinforcing edge whereby great economy ofmaterial is effected.

In previous constructions where a reinforcing 30 edge was desired a flaphas been provided on each side member of the blank along the edge whichwill finally form the top of the basket and then wings are formed on onepair of oppositely disposed sides which are folded over the intervening35 sides and secured thereto to close the corners and hold the basket inassembled relation. With such a construction the blank has as a maximumdimension in one direction at right angles to the edges of the bottomthe sum of the width of the 40 bottom, twice the height of a side andtwice the width of a top flap. In a direction at right angles to thisthe dimension is formed from the same components. In accordance with thepresent invention the first dimension is approximately the 45 same asthat in prior art devices, but the second dimension comprises only thesum of the width of the bottom and twice the height of a side, thussaving material for each blank in amount twice the width or height of aflap and of a 50 length equivalent to the longest dimension of theblank. This results in a saving of from 12% to 15% in the amount ofmaterial required without sacrificing at all the reinforcing propertiesof the cuff or flap and permits the manufacture of from 55 2,200 to2,700 more baskets per ton of stock than with prior art devices.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Figure 5 showing blankID from which the box is formed, it will be seen to comprise a singlesheet of suitable fibrous material such as paper board or the likeincluding the bottom portion II having four sides, preferablyrectangular and specifically square with the edges thereof defined byscore marks, I2, I2 and I3, I3. These score marks define junctionsbetween bottom II and two pairs of sides It, have flaring edges, thoseon posed pair I5, I5 being cut at I6, final shape of the sides.

I6 to define the H, H of these sides are cut off at'what wilL'be thefinal height of the sides.

The sides I4, I4 have their endsjdefined by; scores I8, I8 which arecontinuations of scores; I3, I3 but flare somewhat to define theproper"The outer or final upper defined by scores I9, H9. I9,

shapes of these sides. edges of sides M, I4 are The portion containedbetween scores 52, I8,

I8 is substantially the same in dimensions as a side I5 defined by scoreI3 and edges I6; II, I6.

The scores 58, I8 on sides M define a junction of these sides with wings29, 20 and 2|, 2I,'one extending from each endof each of oppositelydisposed sides I4, I4.

Each side I4, I4 is separated from its fiap 22 by the score I9. flap isparallel to score The outer edge '23 of this 59 and the flap extends thefull length of the outer edge of its side and has its ends 2:; cutconverging so that when the flap is turned in and down against the innerface of its side, these ends 24 substantially overlap scores I8, I8.

Each wing 2i) and 2| is likewise provided with a flap 25'Which ispractically an extension of flap 22. The length of two flaps 25 is thesame as the length of outer edge I! of one of the intervening sides I5.

Near the corners of the bottom are suitable apertures 26 joined to cutsIE, IS defining the edges of sides I5 and cuts 21 defining the loweredges of flaps 20, 2I. These openings are for assistance in folding thebasket.

All the scoring is on one side of the blank.

since all of the folding takes place, for instance, in an upwarddirection from the position of the blank shown in the drawing. Toassemble this blank into a basket such: as shown in Figure .1, sides I5are first bent upwardly to the position shown in Figure 2. The sides I4arethen bent upwardly until scores I8 substantially meet ends I5 of theintervening sides. The wings 2E! and 2I on sides I4 are then bent aroundthe edges I6 of the intervening sides and are folded down against theouter faces of these intervening sides.

Here it is to be noted that lower edges 21 of the wings are cut away onan angle to slope upwardly and inwardly to expose a portion of theunderlying sides. The ends of the. flaps abut each other incomplementary-relationship but do not overlap each other. Preferably theabutting is not along a continuous straight line, but the flaps 2I areprovided with points 28 and the other flaps 2!! with recesses'29, whichtwo parts of a pair 20, 2I interfit exactly as shown in Figure 1 for apurpose to be later described.

After the basket is assembled to the extent just described, flaps 22, 22are turned inwardly and secured against the inner faces of sides I4.

I4 and I5, I5. The sides the oppositely. dis- Likewise --outeredgesedges ll of intervening sides I5 and are secured against the innerfaces of these sides.

Preferably the basket is secured together by ad hesive which is appliedin a suitable manner to the upper faces of the four wings 20, 20, 2I, 2Iand to the upper faces of .all six flaps before folding. It should benoted that the adhesive can be thus applied all to the same side of theblank which is of great convenience and simplifies the machine used forthe purpose.

When the basket is fully assembled it has along the upper edge of eachside I4 the continuous flap 22 and along and .around the edge ll of eachside I5 the fiaps 25 which abut each other at 30. Since each flapcomposed of the two parts 25 has this junction 30 it is not quite asstrong in reinforcing the side'against bulging as is the continuous flap2|, so to overcome this difficulty the wings 28, 2!. do not meet along aline which is in the same plane with the line 35; preferably they meeton'a broken line as explained previously by the interfitting of thecomplementary point and recess on the ends of the two cooperating wings.

Suitable ventilating openings may be provided inany desired manner ineach of the four sides 1 provision of the reinforcing flap or cuff onthe inside of the upper edges of the basket prevents interference withthe adjacent baskets when nesting and thus more baskets can be stackedin a given height than if the cuff were on the outside and itslower edgecontacted the upper edge of the next lower basket and limited the amountof telescoping.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A fruit basket formed from a one piece blank andhaving a four sidedbottom and a flaring side extending from each edge of the bottom, a wingextending from each end of two oppositely disposed sides, said wingsbeing folded around the ends of and overlapping the outside of theintervening sides, the bottom edges of said wings sloping upwardly fromthe corners of the basket to expose a portion of the underlying'side andthe ends'of each pair of wings abutting in complementary interfittingrelation, each wing having a flap extending the full length of its upperedge and bent inwardly over the upper edge of the underlying side, andmeans securing said flaps against the inner face of that side.

2. A fruit basket formed from a one piece blank and having a squarebottom and a flaring side extending from each edge of the bottom, a wingextending from each end of two oppositely disposed sides, said wingsbeing folded around the ends of and overlapping the outside of theintervening sides, the wings overlapping each intervening side havingtheir ends abutting near and at an angle to the vertical center of thatside, a flap extending along the full length of the upper edge of eachwing and folded closely over-the upper edge of the side reinforcedthereby, the fiaps of the pair of wings extending the whole length ofthe side reinforced thereby.

3. A fruit basket formed from a one piece blank and having a four sidedbottom and a. flaring side extending from each edge of the bottom, awing extending from each end of two oppositely disposed sides, saidwings being folded around the ends of and overlapping the outside of theintervening sides, the wings overlapping each intervening side havingtheir ends abutting on a broken line near the vertical center of thatside, a flap extending along the full length of the upper edge of eachwing and folded inwardly closely over the upper edge of the sidereinforced thereby, the flaps of the pair of wings extending the wholelength of the reinforced side, and a flap extending the full length ofthe upper edge of each side having wings and being folded inwardly toreinforce the upper edge thereof, all of said flaps being adhesivelysecured against the inner face of the side which they reinforce.

4. A blank for a fruit basket comprising a generally rectangular sheetof suitable paper-like material including a rectangular portion to formthe basket bottom, flaring side portions, one integral with each edge ofthe bottom portion with ascore defining the junction, a wing extendingintegrally from each flared end of two oppositely disposed sides with ascore defining the junction, each of said winged sides having a flapintegral with all of its remaining edge with a score defining thejunction, and a flap on the outer edge of each wing and separate fromthe flap of the intervening side, the remaining sides being cut at theirfree edges whereby the maximum length of the blank in one direction isthe sum of the height of two sides and the width of the bottom.

5. A blank for a fruit basket comprising a generally rectangular sheetof suitable paper-like material including a rectangular portion to formthe basket bottom, flaring side portions, one integral with each edge ofthe bottom portion with a score defining the junction, a wing extendingintegrally from each end of two oppositely disposed sides with a scoredefining the junction, each of said winged sides having a flap integralwith all of 5 its remaining edge with a score defining the junction, aflap on the edge of each wing which is in substantial alignment with theflapped edge of the intervening side, the remaining sides being cut attheir free edges whereby the maximum length of the blank in onedirection is the sum of the height of two sides and the width of thebottom, and the maximum length of the blank in a right angled directionis that length just described plus twice the width of a flap, said wingflaps each having a length equal to one-half the length of the free edgeof an intervening side.

6. A blank for a fruit basket comprising a generally rectangular sheetof suitable paper-like material including a rectangular portion to formthe basket bottom, flaring side portions, one integral with each edge ofthe bottom portion with a score defining the junction, a wing extendingintegrally from each end of two oppositely disposed sides with a scoredefining the junction, each of said winged sides having a flap integralwith all of its remaining edge with a score defining the junction, aflap on the edge of each wing which is in substantial alignment with theflapped edge of the intervening side, the remaining sides being cut attheir free edges whereby the maximum length of the blank in onedirection is the sum of the height of two sides and the width of thebottom, such a blank being foldable into a basket having .a singlethickness reinforcing flap folded over the whole length of each upperedge thereof.

FRANK M. JCS-LIN.

